Rival Game
by AnimeAvarice
Summary: Tom Riddle has always been special and has always been proud of that. However, he may not be the only prodigy when a boy from Japan walks into Hogwarts. Annoyance would soon turn into bitter hatred when Tom gets his first taste of a challenge. Let the Rival Game begin! Good!Pre-Kira! Light. Tom Riddle time-period. Time-warp fic. AU because of ages.
1. Children (Prologue)

**Rival Game**

**Chapter 1: Children**

_**A/N: (WARNING: SLIGHTLY PREACHY AND IRRITABLE TONE NEAR THE END OF THIS AUTHORS NOTE. I'M NOT USUALLY LIKE THAT. SORRY.) **_

_**Hey all! OK, so the other day, right the heck outta nowhere, the idea for this FanFic popped into my head and WOULD NOT GO AWAY. So, I sat down and started writing. Four pages later, I realized: I'm enjoying this! Now, the whole time-warp, non-Kira Light Fic isn't everyone's cup of tea. If you don't like it, that's cool. You don't have to. But unless you're going to give me constructive criticism, don't tell me you don't like it. I REALLY had fun writing this and unless you have a way to improve it or tell me that you like where it's going, just keep your flames to yourself. Sorry if I'm a bit harsh, but "I don't like this," or "This sucks," or "Wow. You can't write," are just annoying and downer-ish. I'm not usually this preachy or irritated, and I do apologize. But people. Please. If this isn't your story, then go read something else and let me have my happiness. Thanks and enjoy.**_

_**-AA**_

* * *

Tom Marvolo Riddle was six years old the first time he met the young prodigy. By that time, Tom had concluded that the entire world was against him and was afraid of him. He wouldn't have minded if they did what he said or stayed out of his way unless he needed them, but no. These _people_ insisted on always pointing out whatever he was doing wrong. Tom had also realized that making friends was out of the question.

The Wool's Orphanage kids were on vacation out on an English beach, on break for the pleasant springtime. Tom desperately wanted to go exploring, but knew that if he left by himself, Mrs. Cole would make him stay alone in his room again.

Tom sighed and sat down on in the sand. He hoped that he wouldn't get sand in his jacket.

Tom heard a car pull up behind them on the street. Turning, he saw a dark-haired man step out of the driver's seat and open the passenger door for who Tom guessed was his wife. The woman then opened the door for a little girl with chocolate brown hair, a shade darker than her mother's. Finally, a young boy stepped out from the other side of the car, smiling at his father.

The boy looked hardly anything like the other three. His hair was a light, sandy brown and his face was clean-cut and intelligent. He looked closest to his mother, but had the look of calculation that his father possessed.

Tom watched the family as they got out a pink stroller for the little girl and the light haired boy asked his parents something. The two parents smiled at each other and then the man said something. The boy beamed and bowed to both his parents. Tom had no idea why, but assumed it had something to do with their apparent Asian lineage. The boy then raced off to the beach.

Tom watched him as he came closer, his collared shirt reflecting the sunlight and making it near impossible for Tom to look at him straight.

The boy then flopped down in the sand and laughed. Tom saw his parents chuckle, then tend to their daughter.

Tom watched the boy who was still smiling and laying in the sunlight. He didn't know why he even cared, but something about the kid made him annoyed, angry, and curious all at the same time.

The boy noticed Tom's eyes on him and raised his head and waved. Tom only narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze back to the sea.

He heard footsteps and the boy sat down in the sand near him. Neither of them said anything.

"Can I help you?" Tom asked, annoyed.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. Am I bothering you?" the kid asked, still smiling. By God, he was annoying.

Tom sighed. "Yes, you are. But what do you want?"

"I was just wondering the same thing actually," the boy said pleasantly. "You were watching me before and I was just curious."

Tom blinked. Was this kid mental, or just thick? It's common to watch someone enter a place if they look different. Speaking of which...

"You're accent. Where are you from?" Tom asked.

"Japan. We're here on holiday."

"Why here? This is one of the shabbiest beaches in England."

The kid laughed. "It's not that bad. Plus, I have a cousin here. We're visiting her and her family."

Tom turned and sure enough, another car had pulled up without his notice. A man, woman, and two girls, both seeming older than Tom, got out and greeted the other family.

"Oh. Well, you still could have gone somewhere else." Tom ran his fingers through the sand.

The boy stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"My name is Light Yagami, by the way."

Tom looked up. The boy was directly in the sun's path, so he looked like a shadow had risen from the ground and taken shape. His hair fluttered slightly in the spring breeze which Tom hadn't noticed up until now. The boy's eyes gleamed and for a moment, Tom thought he saw something there, a challenging look. But the glance was gone as soon as it came.

Tom realized that the boy was holding out his hand, not for him to shake, but rather to help him up.

Tom stood up by himself, his eyes narrowed in defiance.

"Tom Riddle" was all he said.

The boy still had that half smile on his face, which Tom had originally thought looked dopy and thick. Now, he looked mocking and almost arrogant. Tom's eyes flashed.

"Nice to meet you, Tom," Light said.

"Yeah," Tom muttered, their eyes locked. "A real pleasure."

* * *

As they walked, Light asked, "So, what's your idea then?"

Tom glowered at the sand, his eyes watching his boots instead of the nine-year-old next to him.

It had been three years since they met, and, of course, Light Yagami had come back to the same beach as Wool's Orphanage had come to every year. _Why_ had Tom told him that? Why had he even mentioned that they came here every year? Now, Tom would always have to face the little brat that had plagued him every single year.

Still, Mrs. Cole had taken a liking to the Yagami family the moment they met. She went on and on about how respectful and polite Light was and how sweet his little sister was. Tom had learned more about Light's family than Light probably knew himself. If he told the boy half the things he learned from Mrs. Cole, Light would most likely declare him a stalker. Maybe that would be a good idea actually...

"Hello? Tom?"

Tom was shaken from his thoughts by Light's voice, who was looking at him curiously.

"What do you want?" Tom asked, irritably.

"I said, what is your idea? You said that was why we were going to a cave in the middle of nowhere."

Tom thought fast.

"There's an old legend about a treasure that was buried by pirates in that old cave," Tom lied easily. "I thought it could be fun if we went to check it out."

Light raised an eyebrow. "You actually want to go exploring with _me_? I thought I annoyed you and you hated me."

Tom stared at him. He _knew_?! This brat _knew_ that Tom hated him, and pestered him anyways?!

Light saw the look on Tom's face and laughed.

Tom inwardly shook with anger. This PROVED that Light was the arrogant manipulator Tom had made him out to be.

"I'm just kidding you know. Well sort of," Light grinned. "Loosen up, Tommy." The sandy-haired boy whacked Tom on the back, perhaps a little too hard to be purely joking.

Tom glared. Light had taken to calling Tom "Tommy" last year. By this point, Tom had given up on correcting Light and just winced inwardly whenever he said it.

The two nine-year-olds reached the cave and Tom smiled. This may be the day he rids himself of the pest forever.

In the past years, Tom had done some "testing" with the other children and realized that he had certain powers. Powers, he was sure, that Light did not possess.

The two went into the cave, careful not to slip on the rocky path.

There was a shallow pool of seawater where the tide came in. According to Tom's research, the tide should be coming in that day, but that wouldn't pose a problem. Tom would be long gone by then, and Light... well, he didn't particularly care.

After sliding along the ridge for awhile, Tom said, "This way" and climbed down onto a path, overgrown with moss.

"You know, you seem to know a lot about this cave for someone who's exploring," Light called, climbing down after him.

"Yeah, well, I did come here before," Tom said truthfully. "But I want to try to get a bit farther than I could by myself."

The two followed the dark path for a while, trying to ignore the cavernous pit slowly filling with seawater. The boys entered another area of the cave, a place with a high ceiling and a lake.

"Is that fresh water?" Light asked.

"Yeah, it is. I'm not sure how, but the sea water never mixes with the water in this lake," Tom said, flashing his light around the cave.

"So, what was it about that legend again?" Light turned to the dark-haired boy, but noticed that there was something different on his face. A look of hatred and anger.

"Listen to me," Tom said, his voice ringing with authority in the cavern. "You are not going to follow me around anymore. You will leave me alone and never talk to me again. Pretend that you never even met me."

Light stared at Tom, his eyes a mix of confusion and concern. But Tom didn't care. He didn't know why, but he had never liked Light. Everything about him made Tom angry and annoyed.

"Alright," Light said, his voice hollow. "We never met. Got it."

"Good. Now leave the cave. Go back to your parents and don't mention a thing that happened here."

Light turned from the cave, walking with his head slightly bowed. Tom had won. Light had lost. And that was that.

Tom had never felt so happy.

* * *

Tom waited a few minuted before exiting the cave himself. A smile played on his lips, still proud of his victory. Never again would that pest bother him.

As he was thinking this over, Tom heard the roar of the ocean as it entered the cave. No matter. Tom would be out long before the tide washed in fully.

As he walked up to the ridge, Tom stuck the flashlight in his teeth and reached for the rocky wall where the handhold was. He then raised his foot onto the wall as well and boosted himself higher.

His other boot caught on the wall for a moment, but then slipped and he lost his traction. Tom hung by only his hands on the slippery wall. Behind him, the roar of the ocean grew louder and louder and he realized that the spray was starting to reach the lower ledge.

Grunting, Tom heaved himself back into the proper position on the wall and this time his foot caught. Reaching his other hand up, Tom grabbed the top of the ledge. Too late, he realized that was the wrong spot.

The sharp stone cut into Tom's hand and he let go instinctively. His foot slid and the dark-haired boy fell 20 feet to the mossy ledge below.

On the way down, Tom had lost his flashlight, which had skidded across the path and below into the rising pool, which was now climbing the rocks. Tom felt a sharp pain in his left leg. _Oh no._

Tom got shakily to his feet, trying to stand. When he put pressure on the leg he fell on, Tom cried out and fell to the floor. Wincing, the thought came clearly into his mind. _My leg is broken._

Gritting his teeth, Tom crawled forward, trying to find the ledge. He was shivering, clothes wet from the moss and spray. The water was rising now, much faster than before. _Was it always rising like that?_

A frantic thought popped into Tom's head.

"They don't know I'm here," he whispered, eyes darting in the dim light. "Light was the only one, and now he can't tell anyone."

Tom reached for the ledge again, but moved his leg in the process. It his a stone and he screamed, terror and pain fueling his hysteria.

Tom grabbed the wall as the sea washed over the path, reaching his pants and waist, soaking them both.

_I'm going to die here,_ Tom thought, his screams dying away, being replaced with a rapid breathing and the rushing of water. _This will be the end of me._

Above the ocean's roar, Tom heard the pounding of footsteps. Someone was climbing down the wall. _Impossible... no one knew but-_

Tom's eyes widened as a boy in a white, collared shirt dashed down and into the water, pulling Tom onto his back.

"Put your arms around my neck," Light commanded. Tom did as he was told and Light grabbed a hold of the rocky wall. The sea had risen up to the three-foot mark by now as Light pulled them both up the wall, despite the fact that he was soaking wet and carrying Tom.

Finally, they reached the top and Light swung himself over, landing on his knees as not to hurt Tom's leg.

The lighter-haired boy winced as a rock cut his leg, but got up and ran from the cave, still carrying Tom on his back.

Rounding a corner, the two burst into the light of the fading sunset. The sand gleamed as Tom's eyes adjusted to the light.

He let go of Light's neck as the boy fell onto the sand in exhaustion. Tom's leg was still throbbing, but he watched as Light slowly raised himself to his knees. Light's clothes were soaking wet and he was covered in sand. There were moss stains on his brown slacks and his cut was still bleeding. Still, the nine-year-old boy stood and walked to Tom, taking one of the black-haired boy's arms and putting it across his shoulders.

Light led Tom back to the beach where the rest of the group was. They stumbled through the sand, trying to keep off Tom's foot.

Tom looked over at Light, the boy's expression completely neutral. That was the moment he knew. That was when Tom actually realized who he was dealing with. Light wasn't normal. The fact that he had disobeyed Tom's orders had proved that.

He would never admit it, but Tom was extremely envious of Light. His name was original, his parents were kind and caring, he was smart, talented, and still loyal and kind. But Light's loyalty and kindness were things that Tom didn't understand. How could Light go back for him when Tom made it clear that he never wanted to see Light again?

Tom knew now. That was just how Light was. He was annoying and troublesome and stubborn and arrogant. He was also the most true-hearted person Tom had ever met.

And Tom hated him for it.


	2. Students

**Rival Game**

**Chapter 2: Students**

_**A/N: Hey everyone! AnimeAvarice here (in a much better mood, might I add.) OK, so my first chapter didn't exactly explode out of the starting gate. It kinda crawled feebly, to be perfectly honest. So, I did enjoy writing the last chapter and I'm not really gonna change my style all that much, so sowwyz. But I will see if having two chapters gets me a few more views. Though when I first started this chapter, it was WAYYYY less (As of writing this, I have 78 views on this Fic. When I started this chapter, I had 16.) Also, please feel free to review! Sorry about my snappage last chapter. Granted, it's not a hugely popular genre, and I get that. But I do hope to appeal to the audience for Death Note/Harry Potter readers. Saying that, I have updated my summary so it sounds less retarded! Yay! If you have any suggestions at all, please let me know by reviewing! And now, enough of my rambling! Chapter 2!**_

_**-AA**_

* * *

Late Summer, 1938

Tom Riddle was eleven years old. It had been two years since he had last seen Light Yagami. The memory burned like an ember in his mind, the last time the two had spoken.

"_Why did you save me?" Tom asked from the sick room of the small beach house._

"_Because." Light had his eyes turned out the window. He hadn't looked at Tom since he had brought him in._

"_That's not an answer," Tom said, glaring at Light's head._

_The other boy turned towards him and Tom nearly jumped at his expression. The soft, brown eyes that were usually so lighthearted and cheery were sad and depressed, as if a gray cloud had passed in front of them._

"_Because you're my friend." Light turned back out the window._

_The sandy-haired boy turned from the window and walked to the door, his gaze never moving back to the other boy in the room._

"_Goodbye, Tom."_

Tom sat alone in his room. It was a cloudy day in London, and the distant thunder was doing nothing to improve his mood. He didn't know why he was feeling so off-beat today. He had a feeling it had something to do about the dream he had just had the previous night.

The memories of the time he had almost drowned were clear as glass in the dream, every detail perfectly remembered.

He hated it.

Feeling weak was never something Tom enjoyed, but then, he rarely felt it at all.

Looking out the window, Tom saw something rather interesting: a man in the strangest suit he had ever seen was walking up the street and to the the orphanage.

He rounded the wall and went out of view, so Tom was left with looking at the gaping residents left in the man's wake.

Tom closed his curtains and sat back on his bed.

There were voices outside in the hall, and then he heard one of the helpers yell for Mrs. Cole.

He tried listening, but they were too far away and Tom had no intention of opening his door if he didn't have to.

Soon, the voices died off and Tom guessed that they had gone into Mrs. Cole's office. He _definitely_ didn't want to go in there.

After laying down for a bit, Tom got up and took a book off the small bookshelf in his room. He sat

After what seemed like a century, Tom heard footsteps on the stairs.

He glanced up just as Mrs. Cole opened the door and the odd man in the purple suit entered with her.

"Tom, you have a visitor. This man's name is Professor Dumbledore. He's come to... well, I'll let him explain." With that, Mrs. Cole bustled out of the room, leaving Tom alone with the oddly-dressed man.

"How do you do, Tom," Dumbledore said, walking to his bed.

Tom only watched him as he neared, eyes never moving from the man's face.

"My name is Professor Dumbledore."

"'Professor?' Is that like a doctor?" asked Tom, his voice icy. He was having a bad enough day without a doctor claiming to be able to help him. "Did _she_ tell you to come look at me?"

Dumbledore sighed. "No, no. Nothing like that."  
Tom's gaze narrowed. "I don't believe you. Tell me the truth." His voice rang out, speaking a command. He watched Dumbledore warily, never moving his glare.

For a while, Dumbledore made no response, only smiling pleasantly, causing Tom to be even more on edge.

"Who are you, exactly?" asked Tom, cautious.

"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore, and I am a teacher at a very special school- a school I would like you to be a part of."

Tom leapt up and glared at Dumbledore, his eyes fiery.

"Don't lie to me! You're from the asylum, aren't you?! Well I'm not going! Professor... of course, it makes sense. Well I didn't do anything to Billy Stubbs' rabbit! They all say it's me but they're lying!"

Tom was in a rage, glaring fully into Dumbledore's eyes.

"I am not from the asylum, I am from a school. I will not force you to come with me. If you sit down calmly, I will tell you about Hogwarts. It is a place for people with special abilities."

"I'm not mad!" Tom seethed.

"I am aware you are not mad. Hogwarts is a school of magic."

Tom froze, the anger leaving his eyes to be replaced by an expressionless look, though he watched Dumbledore's eyes, searching for deception.

"Magic?" he repeated, unsure if he heard right.

"Correct."

"Then... it's magic that I can do," breathed Tom.

"What exactly can you do?"

"All sorts," Tom said, his face lighting up. He began to look excited. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want without training them, too. If people are mean to me or annoy me, I can make bad things happen. I can hurt them."

Tom's eyes were bright as he came and sat trembling on the bed.

"I knew I was different. Always." He brought up his hands and whispered, "I knew I had something special in me."

"Well, you are quite right," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "You are a wizard."

His face was changed, mutated, into a look of wild happiness. His finely carved features were now seeming bestial. Tom didn't care right now. He looked at Dumbledore.

"Are you a wizard too?" he asked.

"I am."

"Prove it," Tom said, eyes narrow. His voice was commanding once more. "Tell the truth."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "If you so choose to accept your place at Hogwarts-"

"Of course I will!" Tom interrupted.

"-then you will have to call me 'Professor' or 'sir.'"

There was a momentary flash in Tom's eyes before replying in an unusually polite voice, "I'm sorry, sir. What I meant was, will you please show me-?"

Dumbledore drew his wand and flicked it at the wardrobe. It burst into flames.

Tom jumped up, his eyes blazing. He shrieked in horror and rage. As he rounded on Dumbledore, the flames subsided, the wardrobe perfectly unharmed.

"Where can I get one of those?" Tom asked, looking at the wand.

"All in good time. First, I believe there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe."

Something rattled inside the wardrobe. A chill of fear came over Tom as the rattling grew louder.

"Open the door," said Dumbledore.

Tom walked shakily over, hesitating before flinging the door open.

Inside, Tom saw a familiar cardboard box, rattling as if something was trapped inside.

"Take it out," Dumbledore said.

Tom looked at the quaking box, unnerved.

"Is there something inside there that you ought not to have?" he asked.

Tom gave Dumbledore a clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said in an expressionless voice.

At Dumbledore's command, Tom opened the lid and saw inside the things that he had stolen from the other orphans. His eyes narrowed, barely noticeable.

"You will return those objects to their owners with an apology. I will know if you have done so. Also, be warned- Thieving is not allowed at Hogwarts."

In the same expressionless voice, Tom said, "Yes, sir."

"You have been using your powers in a way that Hogwarts will not allow. We teach you to not only use, but also control your powers to be used for positive purposes. You are not the first, nor the last, to have such natural and unrefined powers. However, we can and will expel such students and the Ministry of Magic will define harsher punishments. All new wizards must understand and accept that."

"Yes, sir."

For the rest of the time, Dumbledore explained how to get money and supplies in Diagon Alley.

"Will you be coming with me?" asked Tom.

"Certainly, if you-"

"I don't need you. I'm used to doing things by myself," said Tom. "I go around London by myself all the time. How do I get to this Diagon Alley-" Tom caught Dumbledore's glance. "-sir?"

Dumbledore handed Tom an envelope.

"This contains the list of things you will need to purchase for your school year. You can get to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron. Though Muggles, non-magical people, cannot see it, you will be able to. The bartender's name is Tom, easy enough to remember for you-"

Tom gave an irritated twitch at the too-common name.

"You dislike the name 'Tom?'" Dumbledore asked.

"There are lots of Toms," the eleven-year-old muttered.

Tom then got the idea to ask about his family.

After Dumbledore explained gently that he knew next to nothing about Tom's parents, Tom nodded.

"When do I come to Hogwarts?" Tom asked.

"Everything you need to know is on that slip of paper," Dumbledore explained, standing.

"I can talk to snakes, you know," Tom said suddenly, believing this was the right time to state the ability that he was most proud of. "Is that normal, for a wizard?"

Dumbledore looked back at Tom.

"It is unusual," he said, watching the young boy's eyes. "But not unheard of."

The Professor swept to the door.

"Goodbye, Tom. I will see you at Hogwarts."

* * *

September 1, 1938

As Tom strode through King's Cross station, he felt as if the world was at his feet.

The faint grin was a sign of how truly delighted he was at the fact he was a wizard.

Diagon Alley had not only been real, but so full of magic that Tom couldn't believe his eyes at first. He saw other children buying similar items and realized that he would most likely be going to school with them.

Never before had he been so happy around other people.

And the one thought that had kept him the happiest was that this made him better. Better than the other orphans, better than the Muggles, better than his mother.

_Better than Light Yagami._

The boy who's last words to him had plagued him for four years and who's actions made him doubt himself.

But this. This was proof. Proof that Tom was at long last better than the sandy-haired child of his memories. His actions meant nothing now.

Just another Muggle.

Tom grinned wider at the thought and walked to Platform 9 ¾. He only saw platforms 9 and 10.

Seeing a family with trunks like his, Tom walked over to them.

In a pleasant voice he had been working on, Tom asked, "Ma'm, could you tell me please how to get onto the Platform 9 ¾?"

She looked at his seemingly innocent face and smiled.

"Of course, dearie. You just run straight through that wall."

One of her sons ran forward with his trunk and passed through the barrier. Tom's eyes widened.

_Amazing_, he thought to himself. _Magic right there, and they don't even notice._

Tom ran at the platform wall after her other son and appeared at the station with a bright red train.

"Platform 9 ¾," he breathed, looking at all the wizards and witches getting on the train.

He waved goodbye to the kind woman and boarded the train, finding an empty compartment.

After a short while, two boys about Tom's age, one with curly black hair and the other with smooth, blonde hair, came to the open compartment.

"Can we sit here?" the dark haired one asked. "Everywhere else is full."

Tom motioned to the seats in front of him.

The two entered, putting their trunks on the ledge above.

"I'm Alexander Lestrange. Call me Alex," said the dark-haired one.

"I'm Theodorus Avery. Call me Theo," the blonde said.

Tom smiled. "Tom Riddle. Can't really shorten my name, unless you want to call me 'T.'"

The two laughed and the train took off.

Tom asked them to explain Hogwarts a bit further and listened with rapt attention.

"I'm hoping for Slytherin," said Alex, after they had finished explaining the Houses.

"Yeah, all the powerful people go there," agreed Theo. "But anything's better than Hufflepuff. They _say_ it's for the so-called 'hard-working,' but that's a load of rubbish."

"I dunno," said Alex, leaning back. "I think I'll take Hufflepuff over Gryffindor. They're a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites who claim to be heroes, but exclude anyone they don't see fit."

Tom nodded. He couldn't believe how little he knew compared to these two.

"You'd be good for Slytherin, Tom," said Alex. "You seem like the kinda guy who would wanna achieve greatness."

"Though, there is this whole thing about all Slytherins being evil. Granted, that's all rubbish too, but still. It can be a bit of a downer." Theo looked out the window to the passing countryside as he spoke.

"I hope I'm in Slytherin then, along with you two." Tom smiled at them and they grinned back.

Tom had never had nor wanted friends, but two allies were a good thing to obtain on the first day.

* * *

Tom, Alex, and Theo were waiting impatiently outside the Great Hall, along with all the other first years.

Every once and a while, Tom would think that he would hear a not-so-welcome voice, but after searching the large group numerous times, found it safe to say that _that person_ wasn't there.

Finally, the doors opened, and the first years came spilling in.

Tom couldn't help but stare slightly at the sheer _size_ of the Hall.

Candles floated without strings from the ceiling that faded into the sky. The four tables were lined with students, all chattering eagerly at the new first-years.

Finally, the line stopped and a familiar face came up to the podium. Dumbledore set what looked to be an old wizard's hat on the stool next to him.

Suddenly, the rips in the hat formed a face and the hat began to sing.

Tom listened as the hat sang about Hogwarts' history and the founders and the Houses, a more in-depth version of what Alex and Theo had told him on the train.

When the Hat stopped singing, the Hall applauded.

Dumbledore then pulled out a list and said, "We will now begin the Sorting."

A few students went up until Dumbledore said, "Avery, Theodorus."

Theo walked up to the podium, trembling slightly. Most of the other students had been the same, if not outright shaking.

The Hat stayed silent for a moment, then, "SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table cheered as a look of sheer joy and relief crossed Theo's face. He looked to Tom and Alex, waving his fist in the air in triumph.

More and more students passed, Tom not even bothering to take note of their names.

When Dumbledore called "Lestrange, Alexander" the Hat stayed on his head for no more than 20 seconds before crying out "SLYTHERIN!"

Tom saw Theo applaud as Alex sighed in relief. He grinned at Tom, then sat down next to Theo. Tom noticed they kept an empty seat for him.

After what seemed an eternity, Dumbledore announced, "Riddle, Tom."

Tom strode up to the stage, not betraying a single ounce of fear or panic. To them, he seemed as level-headed and confident as could be.

He sat on the stool as the Hat was lowered onto his head and over his eyes.

A voice rang in his head, chuckling.

"Well, you're a nasty one aren't you? So full of hatred and resent."

Tom glared at the Hat.

"You absolutely despise being weak and hate others who are better than you. Alright then..."

The Hat's voice sounded through the Hall: "SLYTHERIN!"

Dumbledore removed the Sorting Hat and Tom allowed himself a slight smile.

He walked to the cheering Slytherins and sat beside Alex and Theo.

For a while, Tom could only relish in the fact that he had not only been a true wizard, but had also been sorted into the most powerful house.

Just as Tom was settling into his personal Heaven, Dumbledore did the unthinkable. The one name that Tom wanted to live the rest of his life without.

"Yagami, Light."

It was as if the world fell silent. Tom watched in horror as the sandy-haired boy walked from the line up to the Sorting Hat. His brown eyes were gleaming with happiness while Tom's were glowing in hatred and agony.

_No. not here. _How could that Hell-sent demon invade Tom's life yet again? And why here? It wasn't fair!

The brown haired boy sat on the stool and the Hat was placed over his head.

_Send him back!_ Tom screamed in his mind. _Send him away, never to return! Don't let him be here!_

But the Hat, in all its sadistic triumph, called to the Hall, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers, but Tom couldn't hear them. All he saw was Light smile to Dumbledore and walk away from the stool. As he stood, though, his eyes trained directly onto Tom's, tearing into his soul and awful memories.

Then, locking his gaze, a smile formed on Light's lips. He seemed innocent, but his eyes held the same irksome arrogance that Tom had first encountered when they were younger.

The two held in that moment for what seemed an eternity, though it was only a moment to everyone else.

He couldn't understand. How could this happen to him? Did Fate truly hate him so much as to do _this?_

Things that Tom had thought this new life could suppress would now haunt him forever.

And it was all because of _him._

* * *

_**A/N: YAYYYYY! CHAPTER 2 COMPLETE! WOOOOOO! Please review (I won't snap) and follow if you liked it. I will not be abandoning this one! At least, not in the foreseeable future. I MAKE NO PROMISES! Also, I will explain why Light is even going to Hogwarts in upcoming chapters, so no worries. If you have any questions, please ask! I'll do my best to answer. Thanks everyone and Happy ChristHanuKwanSolstYule! (That's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Solstice, and Yule rolled into one, by the way. Sorry if I missed any holidays!)**_

_**-AA**_


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